2024-25 CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 1

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced today the Week 1 edition of its CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2024-25 season.

Moving into the top spot following its opening weekend is the Brampton Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Following right behind them is the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL) who fell down a spot to second, while the London Knights of the OHL remained in third.

Meanwhile, standing as the only team in the CHL with four wins, the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) are making their Top-10 debut at No. 6 this week, while the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL enter the rankings for the first time at No. 10.

The next rankings will be released the week of October 7, following the second week of regular season action in all three member leagues of the CHL.

CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 1

1. Brampton Steelheads (OHL): With a pair of victories to kick off the season, including a 7-0 victory over the No. 8-ranked Brantford Bulldogs, the Brampton Steelheads (2-0-0-0) sure made a statement during what was their opening weekend – hence why they sit atop the rankings this week. The Steelheads got the party started in their new home on Friday night. Facing the No.8-ranked Bulldogs at the CAA Centre, 2025 NHL Draft prospect Porter Martone registered four points (1G-3A), including scoring what was the first OHL goal in Brampton since March 29, 2013. The following night, Martone would record another multi-point outing (0G-2A), this time against the Erie Otters in what was a 5–2 Steelheads win. Meanwhile, fellow 2025 NHL Draft prospect Jack Ivankovic also had a memorable start to the 2024-25 season. Named the OHL Goaltender of the Week, Ivankovic stopped 54 of the 56 shots he faced this weekend, which includes registering a 21-save shutout against the Bulldogs on Friday night. Through the first week of the season, Ivankovic has a 2-0 record with a shutout, along with a 1.00 goals-against average and .964 save percentage. Additionally, Calgary Flames prospect Luke Misa (1G-2A) and Seattle Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf (2G-1A) both collected three points through the first two games. Following their impressive opening weekend, the Steelheads will be tested this week when they face a strong Colts squad in Barrie before they return home for a top-five showdown against the reigning OHL champion and No.3-ranked London Knights.

Games this week: @ Barrie (Oct. 3), vs. London (Oct. 5), @ Niagara (Oct. 6)

2. Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL): Although they dropped a pair of games against the Red Deer Rebels this past weekend, the Medicine Hat Tigers (1-2-0-0) fell only one spot to No. 2 this week. Two Saturdays ago, during their home opener, the Tigers looked like the team that many had expected to see. Medicine Hat controlled play against the Edmonton Oil Kings, outshooting their opponent 41-25 and ultimately defeating them 4-2 to start their 2024-25 campaign. The club also got contributions from their twin rookie skaters Liam Ruck and Markus Ruck, who each tallied a goal against the Oil Kings. However, one week later, the Tigers struggled in their two games against the Rebels this past weekend. Medicine Hat held a lead for only 23 seconds between those two games, and they went just 1-for-8 on the power play against Red Deer. The latter is no doubt going to need to be an area of improvement for the Tigers should they hope to hold a spot among the top teams in the WHL and CHL. Plus, Medicine Hat will be seeing those same Rebels twice over their next three games. The good news for the Tigers is they should expect Utah Hockey Club prospect Veeti Väisänen and Florida Panthers prospect Hunter St. Martin to be in their lineup this week as both were recently reassigned to Medicine Hat by their NHL clubs over the last few days. The latter leaves Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lidstrom as the lone NHL prospect the Tigers have who is still with their NHL club.

Games this week: @ Red Deer (Oct. 4), vs. Moose Jaw (Oct. 5)

3. London Knights (OHL): Despite splitting their games to kick start the 2024-25 season, the London Knights (1-1-0-0) hold firm at No. 3 in this week’s rankings. Although they dropped their home opener on Friday to the Firebirds 7-4 – on the same night they lifted what was their fifth OHL championship banner in franchise history – the London Knights made sure to bounce back in a big way against that same Flint squad 24 hours later. Playing on the tail end of a back-to-back against the Firebirds, the Knights got a goal and an assist from Evan Van Gorp, Rene Van Bommel, and Los Angeles Kings prospect Jared Woolley on Saturday as London cruised to a 5-2 victory in Flint for their first win of the season. In what was his first career OHL start, 17-year-old netminder Alexei Medvedev looked great for the Knights, turning aside 33-of-35 shots in Flint to secure what was his first career victory in the OHL. As they prepare for the week ahead against the Otters and the No. 1-ranked Steelheads, the Knights are set to receive an infusion of talent in their roster as 2024 NHL first-round picks Sam O’Reilly (Edmonton Oilers) and Sam Dickinson (San Jose Sharks) are set to make their 2024-25 debut for London this week.

Games this week: vs. Erie (Oct. 4), @ Brampton (Oct. 5)

4. Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL): With only one regulation loss through four games to start the season, the Moncton Wildcats (2-1-1-0) remain idle at No. 4 in this week’s rankings. Julius Sumpf and Yoan Loshing have led the way for Moncton early on. Sumpf leads the team with five points (1G-4A) through four games, while Loshing has registered a team-high three goals plus one assist. Meanwhile, new addition Markus Vidicek has been a force in the faceoff circle to start the year, as his 62 faceoff wins rank third in the QMJHL. One concerning note, however, is the status of 2025 NHL Draft prospect Caleb Desnoyers, who was left Saturday’s 3-2 overtime loss against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan with an injury. The team has stated that Desnoyers is listed as day-to-day with a minor injury – so it is possible that he could return to the lineup this week. Speaking of returns, Moncton did enjoy seeing Utah Hockey Club prospect Gabe Smith and St. Louis Blues prospect Juraj Pekarcik make their 2024-25 debuts for the Wildcats this weekend. Although both were held off the scoresheet, they should provide a much-needed boost up front. Conversely, on the back end, Moncton goalie Jacob Steinman has looked solid through four starts. He comes into this week with a 2-2 record, 2.25 GAA, .919 SV%, and one shutout to begin his 2024-25 campaign.

Games this week: @ Acadie-Bathurst (Oct. 4), vs. Charlottetown (Oct. 6)

5. Prince George Cougars (WHL): With points in three of four games to start the season, the Prince George Cougars (2-1-1-0) were one of the few teams this week to rise in the CHL Top-10 Rankings. Among those three games where they secured a point, one consistent thread has been 2025 NHL Draft prospect Joshua Ravensbergen, who has manned the crease in all three. The promising netminder has posted a 2.64 GAA and .924 SV% to go along with his 2-0-1 record to start the season. Meanwhile, this past weekend, the Cougars saw the return of Calgary Flames prospect Hunter Laing, Vegas Golden Knights prospect Viliam Kmec, Borya Valis, and Bauer Dumanski from NHL camps. Kmec (0G-3A in 2 GP) and Valis (2G-2A in 2 GP) had an immediate impact, both registering points in the Cougars’ pair of games this weekend, which included a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants. Meanwhile, 2025 NHL Draft prospect Jett Lajoie (4G-3A in 4GP) and 19-year-old Carlin Dezainde (3G-3A in 4GP) have enjoyed strong starts to their seasons, as both rank within the WHL’s top-10 leading scorers to start the season. This week, Prince George is set to receive another boost when Washington Capitals prospect Terik Parascak and Minnesota Wild prospect Riley Heidt return to the lineup. Heidt, the Cougars’ all-time points (280) and assists (195) leader, was reassigned to the Cougars yesterday after attending the Minnesota Wild’s Training Camp and playing in three pre-season games.

Games this week: @ Kelowna (Oct. 2), @ Seattle (Oct. 4), @ Portland (Oct. 5)

6. Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL): Although they faced a tough five-game road trip to start the season, the Halifax Mooseheads (4-1-0-0) likely surprised many by rising to the occasion under new head coach Andrew Lord. In addition to leading the CHL in road wins to start the 2024-25 campaign, the Mooseheads stand as the only four-win team in the CHL through the season’s first two weekends. A big part of that has undoubtedly been veteran netminder Mathis Rousseau, who has won all four of his starts this season while registering a 1.47 GAA and .947 SV%. The latter included a 39-save performance against the No. 4-ranked Moncton Wildcats on Sunday, which the Mooseheads won 4-1. In addition to their win against the Wildcats, Halifax defeated the previously ranked Cape Breton Eagles 5-2 two nights before their victory in Moncton. Through this first stretch of the games, the Mooseheads have had 10 different goal scorers, including 2025 NHL Draft prospect Liam Kilfoil, who registered a goal and three assists through five games. Additionally, rookies Daniel Walters and Carlos Händel (2025 NHL Draft prospect) have each made an impact early on, having each registered three points during the first two weeks of the QMJHL season. This week, Halifax will endeavour to maintain its place within the Top-10 when they welcome the Québec Remparts and No.7-ranked Rimouski Océanic to Scotiabank Centre for their first two home games of the season.

Games this week: vs. Québec (Oct. 4), vs. Rimouski (Oct. 6)

7. Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL): It certainly hasn’t been the start that the 2025 Memorial Cup hosts were hoping for, but the Rimouski Océanic (1-3-0-0) have some positives they can build upon from this past weekend. Specifically, the Océanic enjoyed seeing reigning QMJHL MVP and Vegas Golden Knights prospect Mathieu Cataford make his debut for his newest club. Cataford picked up an assist in Rimouski’s big 7-4 win against Gatineau, before tallying a point on all three goals (1G-2A) the Océanic scored in a 6-3 loss to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Sunday. Over the weekend, Rimouski also welcomed Vancouver Canucks prospect Basile Sansonnens, Anaheim Ducks prospect Alexandre Blais, Philadelphia Flyers prospect Spencer Gill, and captain Jacob Mathieu back into their lineup after all four (along with Cataford) returned to the club following time they spent at NHL camps. Although all four made an immediate impact this past weekend, Mathieu was the one who stole the show by scoring his first career QMJHL hat-trick in Rimouski’s 7-4 win against Gatineau on Saturday. That said, Rimouski has struggled to keep the puck out of its net, giving up 16 goals over its last three games. The Océanic are going to have to do a better job of protecting their net should they hope to secure a pair of road wins this week against the Cape Breton Eagles and the No.6-ranked Halifax Mooseheads.

Games this week: @ Cape Breton (Oct. 4), @ Halifax (Oct. 6)

8. Brantford Bulldogs (OHL): Facing arguably one of the toughest schedules to start the season, the Brantford Bulldogs (1-1-0-0) had an up-and-down start to their 2024-25 campaign. Opening their season up against the No.1-ranked Steelheads in Brampton, the Bulldogs struggled as they failed to find twine in a 7-0 loss. Impressively, however, Brantford found their rhythm back home in a strong 6-2 showing against the No.9-ranked Oshawa Generals on Saturday. During the latter, the Bulldogs got help from some of their best and brightest players as Washington Capitals prospect Patrick Thomas (1G-4A), Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Protz (1G-1A), 2025 NHL Draft prospect Jake O’Brien (2G-0A), and Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis (2G-1A) all registered multi-point outings in their victory at home against the Generals. For Lardis, Saturday represented his first game of the 2024-25 season, as he played in a preseason game for the Blackhawks on Friday night in Detroit before returning to the Bulldogs lineup on Saturday, where he had an immediate impact. Brantford will be looking for Lardis along with others like Thomas and O’Brien to provide some much-needed offense this week as the Bulldogs prepare to face the Owen Sound Attack and Windsor Spitfires, the latter of which has scored a CHL-best 21 goals through three games to start the season.

Games this week: vs. Owen Sound (Oct. 4), vs. Windsor (Oct. 5)

9. Oshawa Generals (OHL): As one of four teams in the OHL to play three games through the first weekend, the Oshawa Generals (1-1-1-0) managed to come away with points in two of those three contests. A big part of their lone victory was in part to the play of the reigning OHL Goaltender of the Year, Jacob Oster. A member of the CHL’s Second All-Star in 2023-24, Oster made 34 saves in a 3-2 Generals’ win over the Kingston Frontenacs on Friday night, which earned the game’s first star. Then, in the second start of the season on Sunday, Oster once again shined as he made 37 stops in a 4-3 overtime defeat to the Ottawa 67’s. The latter included stopping all 24 shots he faced in the first period, as the Generals were outshot 24-8 in the opening frame. Among some of the other bright spots for the Generals was assistant captain Matthew Buckley, who picked up a point in all three games and ranks tied for sixth in scoring in the OHL with five points (3G-2A). Additionally, Columbus Blue Jackets Luca Marrelli strung together a three-game point streak of his own over the weekend, as his four points (2G-2A) rank tied for third among defencemen in the OHL. On Monday night, Oshawa fans got a bit of good news as the Toronto Maple Leafs reassigned Ben Danford to the Generals. Although the Generals are still without Colorado Avalanche prospect Calum Ritchie, who continues to shine with the Avalanche during the NHL preseason, Oshawa will get a boost with Danford’s return during their two-game homestand this week.

Games this week: vs. Niagara (Oct. 4), vs. Barrie (Oct. 6)

10. Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL): As one of just five WHL clubs to have three wins to their name to start the 2024-25 season, the Brandon Wheat Kings (3-1-0-0) make their CHL Top-10 Rankings debut at No. 10. Outside of a 4-3 loss to the Saskatoon Blades this past Saturday, the Wheat Kings had allowed two goals or fewer in their three other contests while averaging 4.67 goals per game. The latter can in part be attributed to the excellent play of 2025 NHL Draft prospect Roger McQueen, who co-leads all WHL skaters with six goals and eight points through four games this season. Meanwhile, speaking of allowing two goals or fewer, netminder Ethan Eskit has been a star for Brandon through the first couple of weeks. The 18-year-old goalie from Calgary, Alta., has won all three of his starts this season, registering a 1.33 GAA and a .952 SV% so far through the 2024-25 campaign. His excellent play was recently recognized by the WHL, who named Eskit their Goaltender of the Week. Moreover, this past week, the Wheat Kings got a boost as they welcomed back defenceman Charlie Elick (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Carson Bjarnason (Philadelphia Flyers) to their lineup. Brandon has also enjoyed stellar performances from 20-year-old right winger Marcus Nguyen (3G-3A), who has recorded three multi-point games through four contests. This week, the Wheat Kings will look to carry their strong start into a three-game homestand that gets started on Friday against the Oil Kings.

Games this week: vs. Edmonton (Oct. 4), vs. Swift Current (Oct. 5)